People have been asking me what I think about US National Team coach Jürgen Klinsmann’s (check the correct spelling!) decision to drop one of the most beloved US players off his roster over a week before the deadline. Here is what I think:

At age 32, Donovan appeared to have lost some of his pace and ability to finish. Since scoring Oct. 6 of last year, he has taken 32 shots with the LA Galaxy and men’s national team, but he hasn’t scored a goal.

Also, why was Donovan taking a break from soccer? Is that what professionals do?

LA Galaxy is current not doing so great. The World Cup is every four years and is not an All-Star game. It’s for players who are in their peak performance in the moment as well as those who can carry the team into the future:

Klinsmann is different. He has that contract. He knows he will be in command in 2018. And he knows that the team he takes to Russia will look very different from the one he takes to Brazil.

Of course he is looking towards the next few years, not just this World Cup and he’s assembling a team that can grow and shine for years to come.

But in the end I think it’s fantastic that the omission of a single player on a soccer team can create such a shitstorm online. United States you are in it. This is awesome. I love that passion. May you be rewarded in a few weeks when you are playing the ‘group of death’.